Thais encouraged to wear clothes made of silk to promote jobs and revenues

BANGKOK, 11 July 2011 -The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, together with the Ministry of Culture, is encouraging Thais to wear clothes made of silk on various occasions to boost the silk industry in Thailand.

Director-General of the Department of Sericulture Pairoj Limjamroon said there are currently 30,000 silk manufacturers in the country. The number ensures there will be enough raw materials to cushion the Ministry’s policy to encourage government officials to wear silk clothes to work or on any occasion at least once a week.

The policy comes after Her Majesty Queen Sirikit has shown strong support for the industry, saying she wishes to see Thai people wear Thai silk in everyday life. It is believed that the policy will generate up to 30-40 billion baht to this industry. The Culture Ministry has recently signed an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to promote the popularity of silk-based clothes in the society by starting with youth.

In the joint effort, the Ministry of Culture will be responsible for the design of clothes while the other party will conduct a market survey and production in each region.